Paris Airports - Paris Train Stations
and Paris Travel on the Metro

There are two major Paris airports and one smaller airport which is further out of the city.

Free shuttle buses ADP (Aeroprts de Paris) travel between the terminals at CDG airport and also take passengers to the Roissy RER (regional rapid-transit train and subway) station.

1. Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)

2. Orly

3. Paris Beauvais Tille Airport

The Paris Beauvais Tille Airport is a smaller regional airport located 85 km north of Paris. This airport provides lower cost flights but don’t forget to factor in the 75 minutes driving time each way and the cost of a shuttle to and from Paris.

Paris Travel Options To and From the Paris Airports:

• Air France shuttle
• RoissyBus
• Taxi
• Private Car, Van or Aeroport Limousine Service
• Private Airport Shuttle or Minibus
• RER rail system which brings you to the Metro

While the Air France shuttle bus or the Roissybus fares are cheaper, one of the Paris facts to keep in mind is that the drop-off locations are limited and you are still required to do a fair bit of walking and haul your luggage to either a taxi, the RER rail system or the Paris Metro from the drop-off points in Paris in order to get to your hotel, unless you booked your hotel near a drop-off point.

I have used all methods of transportation to and from the major Paris airports and my favourite is the private shuttle service which has provided excellent and reliable service right to the doorstep of my hotel.

Paris Travel with The Paris Metro

Getting around in Paris and using the Paris Metro are easy if you take the time and study the Paris map and the Metro map. The Paris Metropolitain lines are colour coded, numbered and named according to their destinations.

Even if you don’t speak French, whether you are heading north, south, east or west, once you know the name of your destination stop, check the Metro map to see last stop on the subway line of your destination stop.  That is the Paris metro line you should take.

For a little more adventure, more Paris facts; the Paris METEOR project (Line 14) is a 7.5km high-speed metro line which runs from Madeleine to Bibliotheque Francois Mitterrand, passing through Chatelet and Gare de Lyon.

The METEOR project is in the first of a number of phases to provide passengers with more safety and faster travel.

What is fascinating is that the METEOR trains are driverless, have rubber tires and run on the Matra Transport International SAET automated 'moving block' system at a minimum headway of 85 seconds with a capacity of 40,000 passengers per hour in each direction, the highest capacity of any fully automated system of public transport in the world.

The journey from one end of the line to the other takes only 11 minutes for the eight stops and travels at an average speed of 40km/h.

Equipped with a warning light and sound system, passengers who are hearing or visually impaired are warned of the opening or closing actions of the doors. You really should try it out when visiting Paris.

A Guide to Paris Train Stations

It is important to know that there are 7 major train stations in Paris, which can be reached using the Paris Metro, and depending on what city you are heading to, you will need to research ahead of time to ensure you end up at the right train station to catch your train.  

Paris Day Trips

Just like the Paris Metro, the train system in France is great for short excursions or long distance destinations.

Keep in mind if you are trying to make the best of your time and want to get to your destination quickly, take the Eurostar between London and Paris, or the fast rail TGV (Train a Grande Vitesse, French for "high-speed train") for a fantastic train ride and a more luxurious travel experience around France and other European countries.

An Overview of the Major Paris Train Stations:

It is important to know which train station you should be at to catch your train since each station services different towns and cities.

Gare d’Austerlitz

• trains to central France, Toulouse and the Pyrenees
• train stop of RER C
• Elipsos trains to Barcelona

Gare de Bercy

• trains auto-couchettes (TAC)
• trains to Italy (Artesia)
• TER Burgundy

Gare de l’Est

• trains to eastern France and Germany
• trains to eastern suburbs
• trains served by the Magenta of RER E

Gare Saint Lazare

• trains to Normandy,
• trains to west and southwestern suburbs
• trains served by Haussmann - Saint-Lazare of RER E

Gare de Lyon

• trains to southeastern France and Languedoc-Roussillon
• TGV Sud-Est, Rhone-Alpes and Mediterranee, to Switzerland (TGV Lyria) and Italy (Artesia),
• trains to southeastern suburbs
• train stop of RER A and D

Gare Montparnasse

• trains to western and southwestern France
• TGV Ouest and LGV Atlantique
• Elipsos trains Elipsos to Madrid
• trains to western suburbs

Gare du Nord

• trains to northern France
• LGV Nord to Lille
• Thalys to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany
• Eurostar to London
• trains to northern suburbs
• train stop on RER B and D and served by the Magenta of RER E

More Tips on Paris Travel and Paris Airports

Le Metro

Le Metro, or Metropolitain, is the subway system and metro or bus tickets can be purchased individually or in a book of 10 tickets. Passes are also sold either at the metro stations or online.

Using the Paris Visite pass is a great way to travel around the city and is available for 1, 2, 3 or 5 consecutive days of unlimited travel.

RER

The RER are commuter trains that provide rapid transit between the outskirts of the city and central Paris.

Many overlap with the metro subway stations and the tickets and passes can be used for both systems within the city limit.

In some cases, it is faster to use an RER train rather than the metro because there there are fewer stops on some lines.

The RER trains also travel to the two major Paris airports, CDG and Orly.

SNCF

The SNCF trains travel further outside of Paris and provide service for long-distance destinations and Paris day trips to:

• Disneyland Paris
• Reims (Champagne country)
• Chartres, Versailles
• Chantilly
• Parc Asterix
• Giverny
• Fontainebleau
• Malmaison

TGV

The TGV trains (means Train à Grande Vitesse - or high speed trains). These trains are fun and fast, regularly reaching 320 km/h (200 mph) on its eastern route from Paris to eastern France and other European countries.

TGV Train Stations include:

• Paris Est Train Station
• Paris Lyon Train Station
• Paris Montparnasse Train Station
• Paris Charles de Gaulle Train Station

Note that the TGV is not located at all Paris Airports - only CDG.

The TGV travels to many favourite destinations all over France and is only an hour and 15 minutes away from Epernay in the heart of Champagne vineyards and cellars such as Moët & Chandon, Nicolas Feuillatte, Pol Roger, Perrier Jouet, Mercier and many more.

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